With Zhang Dazhu in charge of paddy fields, ponds and other heavy work, Ran'er and Qinglian are much easier. Zhang Dazhu is also a very diligent person, after he is busy with the work in the field, he takes the initiative to pad the soil for the pigsty, feed the fish in the pond, and take care of a group of chickens in the bamboo forest. Sending eggs, fresh fish, etc. to the wine shop is also done by Zhang Dazhu. Since then, Ran'er and Qinglian have had more time to read and write, and learn to be a female celebrity.

May 18 is Ran'er and Qinglian's birthday. This birthday is of great significance to Ran'er. After this birthday, Ran'er will be fifteen years old, and it will be the age when her mother allows Ran'er to open the vermilion wooden box. As long as you open the wooden box, Ran'er's life experience and mother's origin will be clear as soon as you go.

A few days in advance, Ran'er was a little apprehensive. There is both anticipation and a hint of fear. What I am looking forward to is that I will soon find out the origin of my mother and my own life experience; What I'm afraid of is also my mother's origin, Ran'er doesn't know if her mother's death will have something to do with her father who has never met, if that's the case, Ran'er doesn't know whether she should hate the father she has never met, or should she forgive him. In the past few years, Ran Er often thinks of the Ge Zhuang of that year, judging from Ge Zhuang's expression at that time, there should be no news after leaving. The fact is that since that time, Ge Zhuang has not shown up again. It's been almost five years, Ran Er thought to herself.

In fact, Qinglian also remembered what Ran'er said at the beginning, her mother said that she would not be able to open the wooden box until Ran'er was fifteen years old. Seeing that the closer it was to May 18, the more Ran'er lost her mind, and Qinglian didn't take this to disturb Ran'er. Qinglian thought to herself, if it were herself, I am afraid it would be the same. Besides, Qinglian was also a little worried. Five years ago, Ge Zhuang suddenly appeared, looking at Ran'er's sister's expression, it seemed that what that person said was true. If Sister Ran'er is really a young lady in everyone's family, when the time comes to return to the family, should she go with her? Qinglian thought about it many times, and finally made up her mind in her heart that if Sister Ran'er returned to the family, she would stay here and spend her whole life with her mother's grave, pond, bamboo forest, and Yuxie Xiaozhu. Anyway, there are no relatives in his hometown, and his mother and Ran'er are his only relatives. Besides, my sister saved my life, and it is also appropriate to accompany my mother and fulfill my filial piety for my sister.

The sisters had their own thoughts, but they did not delay preparing for their eighteenth birthday. On the evening of the seventeenth day, when Zhang Dazhu was leaving, Ran'er stopped him and said:

"Uncle Dazhu, Lian'er and I have something to do tomorrow, and Uncle won't have to go to work tomorrow. Come back early the day after tomorrow. ”

Seeing the master's instructions, Zhang Dazhu also knew that now that the winter wheat had just been harvested and the rice had been planted, there was nothing serious, so he nodded and agreed to leave.

People are not as good as heaven, Ran'er and Qinglian sent Zhang Dazhu away, and they wanted to have a good birthday behind closed doors on the eighteenth day. I don't want to, just after breakfast, Aunt Shun and Aunt Cheng came together. Aunt Shun is still taking Xiao Jiyao with her, and now Xiao Jiyao is more than three years old, and she looks like a naughty boy who is jumping around. The two concubines have nothing to do, but now that the work in the field is over, and there is nothing to do at home, they came to talk to the Ran'er sisters. By the way, I also want to find out Ran'er's plans for her marriage, but there are two boys in Aunt Cheng's family, both of whom are already seventeen or eighteen, and ten ** should be said to be the age of the daughter-in-law. Li Cheng and his wife have not discussed the matter of inviting someone to talk about Ran'er in private, but both of them feel that their children are not worthy of Ran'er. I heard the same meaning from Grandpa Li, my own child is not worthy, so don't talk too much. However, having said that, Ran'er didn't have a family for a day, and Aunt Cheng still didn't give up, the key is that Aunt Cheng, like many mothers in the village, likes Ran'er too much.

Seeing Aunt Cheng and Aunt Shun coming, Ran'er and Qinglian naturally wouldn't be rude. He entertained them very warmly and gave a lot of food to Xiao Jiyao. At this time, there was already the left, and the four of them led Xiao Jiyao to the pavilion by the pond to sit and talk.

Qinglian was busy making tea for everyone on the side. Seeing that Aunt Cheng was talking and was about to talk about Ran'er's marriage, Qinglian half-jokingly intercepted the conversation and said:

"Aunt Cheng, Aunt Shun, aren't we going to talk about my sister's marriage today?"

"Xiao Lian'er, if you don't talk about Ran'er's marriage, can you talk about your marriage?"

Aunt Shun joked to Qinglian instead.

"Look at what Aunt Shun said, how old is Lian'er. I mean, my sister and I have been dizzy lately, and when I hear about my sister's marriage, I get dizzy. Sister, do you think that's the case? ”

Qinglian said while asking for verification. Ran Er followed Qinglian's words, nodded with a smile, and didn't say anything.

"Okay, don't say, don't say. If we are dizzy, who will make us tea? ”

Aunt Cheng laughed and joked.

It wasn't until almost noon that Aunt Cheng and Aunt Shun led Xiao Jiyao home. Ran'er and Qinglian naturally sincerely persuaded the two to stay for lunch, but they were refused. The sisters simply made some lunch, and were afraid that someone would come again in the afternoon, so they simply saved the birthday banquet for the evening.

After lunch, they took a short rest, and then went to the pavilion by the pond to cool off until the sun was waning, and the sisters returned to the fence courtyard and began to work for the birthday banquet in the evening. A few days in advance, Ran'er and Qinglian prepared the best candied fruit on the shore of Xiling Lake for their mother, and today they specially steamed a pot of sugar dumplings. I made a fish, made a bowl of lotus eggs from the fresh lotus leaves in the pond, and made a few fresh vegetables. Set up the chopsticks and seats for the mother as usual. The sisters replaced wine with tea and started the birthday party of Ran'er who was fifteen years old and Qinglian who was eleven years old. Including the mother, the birthday party of three people.

Before she finished eating, Qinglian couldn't help but look at Ran'er, and Ran'er naturally knew what Qinglian meant.

"I'm more anxious than my sister."

As she spoke, she took out the vermilion wooden box from the corner of the kang. The key has been with the silver left by her mother, Qinglian took it out and handed it to Ran'er. Ran Er took the key, looked at it, looked up at Qinglian, and then opened the small lock on the box with a little trembling. Gently placing the box on the table, reaching out to open the lid, the two sisters staring at the contents of the box at the same time.

A pair of jade bracelets, a gold-inlaid jade hairpin, a piece of mutton fat white jade jade pendant, and the lowest layer of the box is a letter. Taking away the jewelry and jade pendant pressed on it, Ran'er reached out and took out the letter, and by the light, the two sisters leaned together and looked down.

"Ran'er, poor daughter. When you see this letter, it means that Niang Ran'er has grown up. Over the years, Liuran'er has been lonely, and I am afraid that she has suffered a lot, all for the sake of her mother. ”

In the first few sentences, Ran'er and Qinglian cried. Sobbed for a while, endured the sourness in my heart, and continued to read.

"Today, it's time to tell you about Ran'er's life experience, as well as her mother's origin. Ran'er knows that her mother's name is Ge Wei, and Ran'er's father's name is Xie Yu. ”

When Ran'er and Qinglian saw the word Xie Yu, they couldn't help but glance at each other before continuing to look down.